The Sol Plaatje Municipality says it is satisfied with the recent maintenance work done on the water infrastructure of the Diamond City, and it is “ahead of schedule”.
This follows five days during which the water supply was shut off to replace valves and mend cracks in the bulk supply water pipes into which purified water is pumped from Riverton to the city. Residents were warned to prepare for dry taps.
The municipality made 78 water tanks available, in addition to those already placed at informal settlements. Some of these were carried on flatbed trucks, to roam within communities.
Thoko Riet, municipal spokesperson, says none were seriously vandalised, but taps were stolen from a few tanks.
“We finished ahead of schedule. Three leaks on the 600 mm and 900 mm supply lines were repaired before Midstation. We also replaced four scour valves and five air release valves. At the intersection at Midstation, two leaks on flanges of the 900 mm pipe were repaired. After Midstation four leaks behind the 3 SAI military base and two air release valves were replaced on the same line.
“At Riverton, maintenance and repairs were done on the 600 mm pipeline. A leak on a manifold was repaired. We also replaced several valves of various sizes in the reticulation system.”
About 300 workers were involved, which included a technical team, drivers, support staff, assistants, and marshals for access control and road closure. Some five contractors were sourced to undertake various technical activities, Riet says.
These repairs aim to reduce visible leaks, reduce water losses, and improve operations.
During the recent repairs only visible leaks were tended to. The report and recommendations from a smart ball system, which detects underground invisible leaks, will be included in the maintenance programme to be repaired.
“We cannot give a definite date for further water supply interruptions, but there will be more as part of the maintenance programme. They will progressively be less intense and shorter in duration. A schedule on these shall be communicated accordingly.”
Riet says there are major valves at various sites that need replacement.
“Once these have been replaced, there will be no complete shutdowns, but localised water supply interruptions.”
